Girl Power 2009---NYC

"Girl Power Weekend" is what my college girlfriends and I call our yearly reunion. The weekend is comprised of girls who met our freshman and sophomore years at Ohio University (1993-95.) Each GP is guaranteed to bring laughter and re-connecting, reminiscing and "catching up" time. Of course, we find sightseeing, hiking, or fun adventures to partake in to make each weekend unique. The first several reunions were held at various Ohio locations. (All of the girls except for Michelle H. and I still live in Ohio.) I hated that I was unable to attend the first few. But, DH and I were newly married. I had minimal vacation time from my newly acquired first post-college social work position, and we didn't have extra $$ to spend on airfare.
I've managed to attend a few reunions throughout the 11 we've had and I always LOVE spending time with my girlfriends again.

This year, we were able to have a 4-day weekend in New York City. I was able to fly from Columbus, OH with 3 of my college buddies. (Emma spent the weekend with my parents and on outings with my sister, Laurel.) Once at LaGuardia, we met our friend, Vicki who had flown in from the Cleveland area. The 5 of us had previously arranged a driver to take us to our hotel.

Friday July 31st:

Michelle R., Vicki, Randi, Me, and Kasy

Notice the "Girl Power" t-shirts Kasy purchased for all of us. Michelle R. and I cracked up when we were going through the airport and an airline worker asked us if we were going to a "Girl Power Convention?" ROFL!

Michelle H. lives in Brooklyn and works in Manhattan. She planned to meet us at the hotel the afternoon of our arrival. Little did she know we were planning a surprise bridal shower for her, as she is engaged to be married this fall. Prior to Michelle H.'s arrival, the rest of us went to the Crumb's bakery and selected 6 delectable ginormous cupcakes (cookie dough, cappuccino, key lime, and peanut butter cup flavored among others.) We did our best to decorate the hotel room and get Michelle's gifts ready.


Photo after the shower. L to R: Kasy, Michelle H., Me, Vic, Randie, Michelle R.

Bus Sightseeing Tour: That afternoon, we braved the overcast weather and went on a tour of NYC. The $$$ for the bus tour were very well spent. Our tour tickets enabled us to get off and re-board the bus for up to 24 hours. Thus we were able to "see" New York, and get off at the sights that most interested us. And, when it finally did rain, we were given free ponchos! :)



Kasy and Vic


Randie and Michelle H.


Michelle R. and I

Sights from the top of the double decker bus...


City Hall?? LOL...I can't remember what this building is.


We learned that all apartment buildings over 6 stories high have their own water towers.


This sign cracked me up, because OF COURSE people still honk in the city!


Sign for our bus stop...the Gray Line.


I took this photo in China Town. It makes me giggle. I would love to know what the sign writer means by "BJ," as I am certain at only 99 cents, it's NOT what I'm thinking.... *Blushes.*



The United Nations Building. (The flags are not up, because the UN wasn't in session.)

Saturday August 1st:
On Saturday we were able to go shopping and eat lunch in Soho. We then toured St. Paul's Church and the World Trade Center areas. I spent the summer in NYC back in '92 and hadn't been back since. I was floored and saddened by the difference in the skyline. SO tragic. St. Paul's Church was across the street from the Trade Center. There are many amazing tributes at the church, which were left in the days just after 9/11.

That evening we went to the Upright Citizen's Brigade comedy club. We watched their improv skits. Only $10 and they were really good!

Did I mention that on the way to the comedy club, I tripped on an uneven sidewalk and fell flat on my face? Well almost on my face. Seriously....my boobs, stomach, and hands, knees, and the top of my feet were all touching the cement, as I was face-down on the ground. I don't know how I didn't hit my face! I scratched open my right pinky, left ankle, and banged up both knees. (In fact, as I type this, it is 2 weeks later and my blasted right knee STILL hurts!) The worst part was, this all happened in front of a floor to ceiling restaurant window. Once I did the initial "Am I okay?" and sat up, I realized there was a dining room full of people staring at me. Embarrassing!! Who says I don't know how to live it up in New York?

After the comedy club, we went to Dallas BBQ restaurant. Delicious!


Me with the giant mojito my friends bought for me because they felt badly that I wiped out.


Then we subwayed back to our hotel. We hung out at "The Met," the bar inside our hotel. (I fondly dubbed it the "Regal Beagle" because it reminded me of the swankiness Jack Tripper used to visit.)


Sunday August 2nd:
We had Dim Sum brunch at a Chinese restaurant called Jin Fongs. I was nervous at first. Sadly, I eat like an 8 year old and am not super fond of Chinese food. Luckily, Michelle H. is a Dim Sum guru and was able to teach us all the ropes. I was able to leave full and even found something new that I like---it looked like sweet pulled pork inside of buttery biscuits. Yum!

The little barrel-looking dishes are what the restaurant workers would push around on the Dim Sum carts. They were stacked, in columns. Pretty neat!


Our bill

After brunch, we walked to view the apartment front from the HBO series "Flight of the Conchords." (Which I hate to admit, I know nothing about, as I've never seen the show.) Then we went souvenir shopping at the Pearl River Mart.

A highlight of our trip was when we saw the matinee showing of the "Hair" musical. We had a blast! (And though we knew there would be full-frontal nudity, I don't think any of us were anticipating full frontal nudity from the ENTIRE CAST in their number just before intermission. Verrrrry interesting!)


Michelle H., Randie, Me, Kasy, and Michelle R. with a "Hair" poster outside the theater




That night, Randie and I walked around Times Square for a bit. It was awesome! Many of the stores there don't close until 1 a.m., so the streets were still crowded with people and vendors even though we didn't get there until after 11 p.m.




Me in Times Square


Sunday August 3rd:
We went to Rockefeller Plaza to try to get on TV as part of the audience/crowd at the "Today Show." (Trivia: Host Matt Lauer is an Ohio U. alum!) Randie and Vic DID make it on the show, though the rest of us didn't.

Matt Lauer in the center of pic


Al Roker

After the "Today Show," we said good-bye to Michelle H. The rest of us separated for some shopping and sightseeing before catching our afternoon flight back to Ohio. (Michelle R. and I went to the American Girl store----very interesting and pricey and to St. Patrick's Cathedral---beautiful with exquisite stained glass. We then had 10 minute chair massages at the salon inside our hotel.)


The GP group at Rockefeller Center



We had a super time!

(Note: Thanks to Kasy who is a professional photographer by trade, so most of the "group shots" with all 6 of us were taken with the timer feature on her camera. She is also the clicker who captured the photos of all of us in bus ponchos.) :)

Summer Ruminations

--All day yesterday I was singing the "What Time is It?" song from (I'm sad to admit) High School Musical 2...
What time is it?
Summertime!
It's our vacation.
What time is it?
Party time.
That's right, say it loud!

--Today is my first day of SUMMER!!!!!!!!! Woot woot! As we have to pay for Em's preschool/daycare a week at a time, she'll still be going through the end of this week so I can have some much needed ME time. Yippee!

--Part of my "me time" sadly includes some major household cleaning. But I'm trying not to do too much, as I know I can do some cleaning next week (and beyond) when Em is home with me.

--My sister sent me a gift certificate for a massage for my birthday...I wonder if it's too short notice to cash in on it this week? Hmmm....

--There are 40 books in the Scholastic Read180 collection, used in my reading classroom. I've brought the 35 I haven't read yet home with me so that I can read them this summer. This will really help me have "book talks" with my students next year. (And before you freak out, while some of the books are 200+ pages, many "Level 1" books are only 40 pages or so, enabling me to read multiple books in one day. I love to read---but even I wouldn't try to conquer 35 ginormous books in one summer!)

--I'm currently reading the 3rd book of the Gemma Doyle trilogy and am LOVING it. I have enjoyed these three books thoroughly and am eager to find some other great summer reads!

--I think I'll head to Kohl's today. I received a 15% off EVERYTHING in the store coupon in the mail this week. I can't resist! And I could use some new sandals anyway...

--I'm determined to enjoy every moment, as summer always flies by in a whirlwind. Our plans this year:
--June: Em and I will have local excursions---zoo, beach, parks, picnics, hanging out at
home, library, etc.
--July: My sister Laurel will be visiting the first week of the month. Can't wait to see her!
--After she visits with us, Em and I will travel to Ohio with her. Laurel will return to her
apartment, and Em and I will stay at my parents house. (Em touched my heart this week.
I asked her what she most wants to do this summer. She said, "Go to Grandma and
Grandpa's house." Awww!)
--We'll have playdates galore with our Ohio friends and family while we're in Ohio. Yippee!
DH will join us for his 2-week vacation for part of the month. Yea!
--My older sister, Michelle will also visit at some point. (I haven't seen her for several
years and Em has never met her...it will be nice to finally connect!) (She lives in Seattle,
WA. The distance and $$$ make it difficult for us to visit one another.) (She just
finished earning her Ph.D GO, MICHELLE!!! YOU SUPERSTAR! She was hired by Drew
University in New Jersey, so will be moving to the East Coast. Yippee! We can likely
see each other much more often now!)
--August: Em will stay with my parents while I attend a "Girl Power" reunion with my
college gal pals. (Click HERE to view my post about last year's fun Girl Power adventure.)
This year we're going to NYC for an extended weekend. Should be a blast!
--After GP weekend, Em and I will be returning to FL...where we'll only have 2 weeks left
before back-to-school time starts again.
--Whew!

--Ever since I typed the "What Time is It" lyric above, I keep having random summer-y songs pop into my head...
"Summer lovin' had me a blast...summer lovin' happened so fast." (Grease!)

"School's out for summer!" (Alice Cooper)

"It's a cruel ... cruel ... cruel summer. Leaving me here on my own. It's a cruel ... it's a
cruel ... cruel summer. Now you've gone" (Bananarama)

"Summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime...." (The Jamies) (I admit, I had
to look the artist up on this one.)

"I got my first real 6-string. Bought it at the 5-and-dime. Played it 'til my fingers bled.
Was the summer of '69." (Bryan Adams)

--Some good 'ole Beach Boys: "We're waxing down our surfboards. We can't wait for
June. We'll all be gone for the summer. We're on safari to stay. Tell the teacher we're
surfin'. Surfin' U.S.A."

--"I remember how you loved me. Time was all we had until the day we said goodbye.
But I remember every moment of those endless summer nights." (Richard Marx)

--"Hot town, summer in the city. Back of my neck getting dirty
and gritty..." (The Lovin' Spoonful) (I had to G.oogle the artist on this one too.)

Cracking myself up here....I'll stop with one of my current favorites:
"And we were tryin' different things. And we were smokin' funny things. Makin' love down by the lake to our favorite song. Sipping whiskey out the bottle. Not thinking 'bout tomorrow. Singin' 'Sweet Home Alabama' all summer long." (LOVE this Kid Rock song. Though I didn't smoke, have sex, or drink in high school...I definitely relate to the "Sweet Home Alabama" and "caught between a boy and man" (girl and woman in my case, of course) that he sings about as he reminisces 1989---my freshman year of high school.

Hooray for summer!

Random Stuff

Some random things I've been experiencing lately...

New Friend: On Monday afternoon, as I entered the cafeteria/teacher's lounge at my school, a substitute asked me, "Are you Alana?" I'm new to my school this year...and very few people here with the exception of my reading department and the 2 co-teachers I work with, call me, "Alana." I was trying to figure out who had told the substitute about me. Imagine my surprise when I learned she was my new friend, Katie from Double the Blessings. My first time meeting a blog friend in real life. We were able to talk and eat lunch together. COOL! :)

School Stuff: Things at school are calming down a little. I'm still having some anxiety regarding next week's meeting with district reps. Fortunately, much of my anger has subsided. I met with my principal this morning and discussed the phone call I had with Ms. Cray with him. (See 4/17/09 post, if interested in the nitty-gritty phone call details.) He was very supportive. He stated that his first year as a principal, he was "upset" with some of the district visit commentary. However, he now looks at the visitor's feedback as only a "snapshot." He said he knows that they don't see in only 10-15 minutes what our classrooms are "really like" the majority of the time. He chuckled when I told him Ms. Cray said my vocabulary-related crossword puzzles were "unacceptable." He even asked me to bring the crossword subject up when Ms. Cray is here so that we can discuss it as a team. Yea! I feel so fortunate to have such a supportive principal. And though there are still some aspects I dislike at my new school, he is a BIG reason to stay here next year.

A school funny: One of my students today is wearing a t-shirt that reads, "I'm NOT trying to be difficult (it comes naturally.)" For some reason this was really funny to me. :)

Girl Power: It's a go. Several of my college girlfriends and I will be having "Girl Power 11." Our 11th post-graduation reunion. This year we'll be spending 4 days in NYC. We purchased plane tickets this week. I am SOOOOO looking forward to bonding with the gals again. (All but 2 of us still live in Ohio and are able to see each other a few times a year. Since I'm in Florida, the reunion is often the only time I get to see many of my girlfriends in person each year.) Yea!

DH: I have to say a big SHOUT OUT to my sweet DH. Our dryer broke this week. He spent much of his day off yesterday at the laundromat doing 7 loads of laundry. And researching to figure out what type of dryer we want to buy for a replacement. He is wonderful!

My planning period is nearly over, so I must go.

Biltmore

I just had to post this. The picture of some of the GP gals

and I inside the Biltmore last weekend. Love the pic, and

it was the only one we have of us inside, as cameras aren't

allowed inside the home. :)

L to R: Michelle H., Jenni, Michelle R., Kasy, Shelly, Me, and Randie

Girl Power 2008

I thoroughly enjoyed the "Girl Power" weekend I spent with my college girlfriends in North Carolina...

We all arrived on Thursday 7/31. What Mapquest predicted should be around an 8 hour drive turned into nearly 12 hours due to road construction and a major accident on I26 wherein I literally only went 13 miles in 52 minutes. UGH. (At least I wasn't the one in the accident...guess I should be grateful.) I was the last to arrive at around 9 p.m. I think the girls knew I was extremely frustrated from being in the car much longer than anticipated. They greeted me by raising their arms together to form an arch-way for me to walk under, on the porch of our cabin. What a sweet gesture and warm welcome! (On a side note, this was the longest solo-road trip I've ever taken. Go, me!)

Sorry the following are out of order...I forgot to download the pics in the REVERSE order of vacation, so that they'd be in order for me to describe. Anyway, my fun weekend is chronicled below:



Wow! I crossed the bridge. I was freaked...
but really wanted to cross the bridge. I waited for a gap
between tourists so that I could "book it" and move quickly.
And then I went for it...and crossed the bridge... WOW!
(Can you tell I'm still tickled with myself?) Smiles.


Me with Michelle R. after crossing the bridge


Look! The bridge hangs over a mile above sea level and
I crossed it! WHEW!


Me crossing the bridge. Had to grab my hat, it was
really windy on top of the mountain, especially on the bridge.


This is my favorite pic from the weekend. All 9 of
us at Grandfather Mountain. Sunglasses-wearing-divas! :)


After the Biltmore, we met for dinner in Asheville
and then hung out back at the cabin.





On Saturday we went to nearby Grandfather Mountain

With my height phobia, I was paranoid as we were driving
up the mountain. The roads had sharp turns and were
extremely steep in some places.

The girls liked my joke that crossing the Mile High Swinging Bridge
was NOT the Mile-High-Club that I wanted to join. (Hee-hee.)


View from the top of Grandfather Mountain



The Biltmore House
What a shack! Amazing! :)


One of the two lions which adorn the front entrance



Amazing architecture!




The gang on the walkway in front of the Biltmore


After lunch, we went to the Biltmore Wine Cellar


We saw the vats where the wine ferments.



Next, we sampled wine from the Biltmore Winery
(L to R: Michelle H., Jenni, Kasy, and Shelly)


Randie smells the wine



Me with Michelle R.

NOTE: Those who know that I do not like wine...Nope. The wine-tasting did not
sway me. There were a few wines that were "okay," but none that I liked a lot.
We were able to sample 8 flavors and I requested the Biltmore Grape Juice for my last sample,
instead of having more wine. LOVED it. Very delicious. Guess it wasn't time for my taste buds to grow up yet...

Another NOTE: We were informed by the wine experts at the Biltmore, that during a
wine sampling only a half cup of wine is consumed. Thus, we were all fine to drive. :)


Our cabin's 2nd floor deck with mountain view


On Friday 8/1, seven of our group of 9 toured the Biltmore mansion and its grounds, while the other 2 gals explored downtown Asheville.

The whole gang before sightseeing in Asheville, NC
Back: Kasy, Molly, Michelle H., Randie, Me, Shelly
Couch: Jenni, Vicki, Michelle R.



We had lunch at the Deepark restaurant. The building used to be the Biltmore's calving barn.
Now it serves a gourmet lunch buffet...the steak was dynamite!


The gals and I after lunch.



My view when stuck in STOPPED traffic on I26 en route
to Banner Elk, NC



This sign sums up our cabin area: curvy, hilly, can't drive it too quickly...



Our cabin in Banner Elk, North Carolina


The room I shared with Michelle H.
I LOVED the cabin...but none of the windows had any curtains or window coverings.




Mountain view from our deck


After hiking on Grandfather Mountain and visiting the Animal Center there, we drove to Boone, NC. We saw "Mamma Mia!" at the Regal Cinema there. LOVED it! Hilarious! And it was the perfect group to see a musical with. Some people appreciate musicals, while others don't. We laughed at parts, cried at parts, and sometimes nearly cried from laughing at parts. It was terrific!

That night brought more hanging out at the cabin. We played LCR---I won $24! We reminisced, "caught up," and giggled like little girls. I loved every minute!

Sunday morning we all left to return home. (I made it home in just under 8 hours...guess Mapquest wasn't that far off afterall.) What a wonderful weekend!